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Why we measure testosterone and estrogen

The most significant hormone imbalance in aging men results from a decrease in free testosterone, while estrogen levels remain the same or increase. As men grow older they often suffer from the dual effects of having too little testosterone and too much estrogen. The result is a testosterone/estrogen imbalance that directly causes many of the debilitating health and performance problems associated with normal aging.

One of the reasons this happens is that as men age, testosterone is increasingly converted to estrogen. One report showed that estrogen levels of the average 54 year old man are higher than those of the average 59 year old woman. This is precisely why taking testosterone by itself, without monitoring the other hormones measured in the Andropause Program, is usually not a good idea. Testosterone may convert into even more estrogen (a process called aromatization) thus potentially making the hormone imbalance problem worse. Too much estrogen and not enough testosterone increases your risk for a heart attack or stroke. High levels of estrogen have also been implicated as a cause of benign prostate hyperplasia. Your Age Management Physician will explain to you the exact nature of any imbalance you may have in your testosterone/estrogen profile, and will show you how the Andropause Program will improve it.